Spark Architects designed the Bass and Flinders Gateway, a new development project to be located at the gateway to Wollongong, one of Australia's most beautiful cities. The 370,000 square foot development is the first Australian project ever designed by the international architecture firm. The mixed-use buildings mimic the shape of rolling silver waves to make the Bass and Flinders project an instantly recognizable landmark on the city skyline.

To strengthen the development’s connections with the surrounding urban fabric, Spark Architects created a series of pedestrian-friendly public spaces between the buildings. The building is terraced and staggered at different heights to create a vibrant arrival sequence from the street. Although the project is intended as a city landmark, Bass and Flinders Gateway is deliberately massed so that from a distance, the profile of the various building components complement the existing architectural backdrop and building heights.

The mostly residential project comprises apartments arranged as “coal measures,” or linearly stacked rows mimicking rock strata. A symbolic wave, which draws inspiration from the nearby Illawarra Escarpment and the ocean, tops the apartments and shades the terraced gardens. Construction on the project is scheduled to start in 2015.